Middle
Walking the Middle Path
One of the goals of DBT is to “walk the middle path.” This means avoiding thinking in terms of black and white and instead look for the grey. It also means finding a fuller truth when looking at two opposing ideas or positions. The goal is to recognize extremes, incorporate aspects of both positions, and identify the middle path.
DBT therapists will often say ”both, and” rather than “either…or,” emphasizing that two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. For example, you may care about your sibling and think they’re great, AND there are things that you do not like about them. Life is full of dialectics. A key one that is often emphasized in DBT is that you are doing the best you can AND you want to do better.
** Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press
DBT therapists will often say ”both, and” rather than “either…or,” emphasizing that two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. For example, you may care about your sibling and think they’re great, AND there are things that you do not like about them. Life is full of dialectics. A key one that is often emphasized in DBT is that you are doing the best you can AND you want to do better.
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